Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-08-12

SiOpe ldtltS bUc pcedH. SDIedN
scene of matchless beauty, low
wooden building stood, the home of
my friends, in the middle Of cattle
ranch. ! was received With the
usual Hawaiian hospitality, anil my
host made all necessary preparations
for my next days campaign. The
next morning at early dawn, my
guide and mule having arrived from
Waiuka, | mounted equipped with
a waterproof, thick sack, shade hat,
veil, short dress and thick boots.
My guide, who was the darkest ma
tive had ever seen, was mounted
on 4 sorry looking animal which
ere the day was half over, broke
down and was fastened to a stake
The morning air was soft and cool,
for we were in higher attitudes.
Leaving the road we followed the
trail, my mute with scent acute,
keeping strictly toiit. I turned con
tinually to catch the view downward
and what view! The-clouds to the
east hung heavy and dark, when sud
denly the rain broke over Heiku, a
plantation at the extreme eastern
slope, and at the same time a rain
bow of clear priSmatic colors burst
forth, seemingly perfectly horizont-
al line Further to the west, the Eeka
mountains brilliant in vesture green
nestled dreamily on her slopes, while
the sand hills, the narrow strip of
land with Mali Bay on one side,
Kahului Bay on the other, with the
grand old ocean encircling all added
another picture to my collection.
The clouds soon rolled up and shut
all this from my sight, while away
up the clouds remained clear, and
/ the peaks rose on all sides, not bar
rem and rocky, but steep and pre-
cipitous, covered with low shrubs,
Two horsemen galloping away on
far distant ones were the only hui
man beings l saw all day.
a few clumps of koa, kukui, with
ferns, grass and ohelo berries form
ed the vegetation. Sheep and cattle
roamed al AJjtuH2 and it was well
to give the latter a wide berth, for
they were often fierce and danger
Gus. A group of these were seen
by my guide quietly standing under
the shade of some trees, their long
horns giving them a not very gentle
appearance. He stopped, hesitating,
and with ga ouri mike bepe" Every
bad cattle) kept his eye firmly fixed
upon them, we rode at safe dis
lance off. About noon we reached
cave formed by shelving volcan.
ic rock, whore people spend the
night when they come, as they gen
, orally do, to visit the crater by sun
rise. We stopped and refreshed
ourselves with a simple luncheon
Starting again, |, plying the effort.
of my faithful mule, attempted walk
ing, but my short breath and the too
cautioned me against It. t. G "a iiSf i
vegetation grew less, there remain
5 ing only coarse little fern. Final
, ly we reached a wall and | dis
mounted and walked to where eth
, pass expanded its strong jaws ant
! the abrupt mountain broke" Her
! was a scene which beggars descrir
e ton, Above me the blue SIX
q with not a cloud upon its bosom
far across Mauna kea and Maun
Loa reared their lofty heads 1900
e feet above the sea level, on tn
: island of Hawaii. I stood som
s 10000 #. above sea level starin
+ with eyes wide open with wonde
and amazement into a depth c
over 1900 feet with a circumference
Of thirty miles, one of the granda,
5, sights in the world, the record c
If mighty stupendous force. Beaut
l., ful-no-awful and grand, barren
ness and desolation, for the CLOWN
red sides showed no signs Of veg'
y tation. In this pit I counted thi
r teen cones, averaging over five {
/. six hundred feet, while from tn
h openings, where formerly the Gqui
" fire had fled on its destructive mare
/ to the sea, soft billowy clouds stoo
v as sentinels only waiting the wor
+ of command to roll into and fill IL
It wondrous depths. What mu.
:. have been the scene when all the,
- separate cones were seething wit
d. molten fire, when roaring and boi
Il. ing the irregular mass of lava rocl
ID were thrown out! What terrib
10 beatings and throes of the earth
: centre but now resting in quiet su
- Unity, the cool rarifed air fannir
y the whole and natures blue vau
as looking down with peace upon Il
ID oEce agitated scene. Looking dow
W the mountain the eye rested upC
- banks and banks of sunny cloud
'o solid and impenetrable. This clou
H. picture forms one of the finest par
I'd Of the scene, and yet / could n
10 quite understand whether l we
No looking over these dense banks Il
~ on the water beyond, or upon Il
~ sky, it is an illusion common to SUI
H. high attitudes. After looking al
er wondering, only regretting the pre-
en- ence of no congenial spirit to pc
,b forth my overcharged soul, ,
- began the descent, and giving n
;" mule the reins, | sat lazily on h
he back, my whole being imbued wi
1g awe, while the scene became. mo